British Museum London, United Kingdom

The British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. Over 6 million visitors every year experience the collection, including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.

Discover our interactive experience The Museum of the World

A Journey: Conserving the Atlas of Joseph Russegger’s seminal publication Reisen in Europa, Asien und Africa etc. (1842-1849)

British museum, the ballcourts of chichén itzá, buddhist art in myanmar, containing the divine: a sculpture of the pacific god a'a, john harrison's horological legacy, egypt: faith after the pharaohs, the mold cape, the russegger atlas, the ancient maya at the british museum, celtic life in iron age britain, poetry and exile, social fabric: african textiles today, celebrating ganesha, bonaparte and the battle of waterloo, 1066: the year that changed england, exploring the maya ruins of quiriguá, guatemala, yucatán today, untangling maya glyphs, traditional jewellery and dress from the balkans, in this collection, alfred maudslay, 1,680 items, archaeology, 1,008 items, 7,350 items, 2 museum views.

  • International edition
  • Australia edition
  • Europe edition

Bilbao, the Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art museum designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

10 of the world’s best virtual museum and art gallery tours

The originals are out of reach for now, but you can still see world-class art – without the queues or ticket prices – with an online tour of these famous museums

A rt lovers can view thousands of paintings, sculptures, installations and new work online – many in minute detail – as well as explore the museums themselves. There are various platforms: from interactive, 360-degree videos and full “walk-around” tours with voiceover descriptions to slideshows with zoomable photos of the world’s greatest artworks. And many allow viewers to get closer to the art than they could do in real life.

So, take a break from the news, enter full-screen mode and start your art adventure in sunny California …

J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Getty Center, LA

With more than 6,000 years worth of creative treasures, the Getty is one of the best places for art on the west coast of the US. Go from neolithic clay figures to Van Gogh’s Irises and Renoir’s La Promenade – just two of many artworks that feature in the virtual tour . As with several of our selection, Google Arts and Culture offers a “ museum view ” tool to look inside gallery spaces, with clickable artworks presenting further information. The Getty’s sunny sculpture plaza and garden terrace are worth adding to your digital trip, via another viewing platform, Xplorit . getty.edu

Vatican Museums, Rome

Vatican Museums’ virtual tour

Soaring vaulted ceilings, intricate murals and tapestries, the Vatican’s museums are creatively rich sites. Don’t forget to look up when exploring the seven spaces in the museum’s virtual tour, to gawp at a series of 360-degree images, including the Sistine Chapel. Wander around the rest of Vatican City with a You Visit tour that takes in Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square, complete with a tour guide narrating each interactive space. museivaticani.va

Guggenheim, Bilbao

Frank Gehry’s sculptured titanium and steel building, on the banks of the Nervión River, is one of the world’s most distinctive art spaces. The interactive tour takes viewers around its collection of postwar American and European painting and sculpture – Rothko, Holzer, Koons, Kapoor – and even down between the weathered curves of Serra’s Matter of Time (turn left at the entrance). guggenheim-bilbao.eus

Natural History Museum, London

Hintze Hall at Natural History Museum, London.

From the diplodocus to the dodo, botany to butterflies, giant crystals to specimens in jars … the Natural History Museum’s vast collection has long been a favourite of both Londoners and tourists. Get lost in the corridors and gallery spaces – one treat is Dippy the dino, who despite recently going on tour still makes an appearance in the entrance hall in this interactive online guide . nhm.ac.uk

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Rembrandt’s The Night Watch at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.

This grand museum has a vast collection of art and historical objects across 80 galleries. A 10-year renovation project was completed in 2013, transforming the space and combining elements of 19th-century grandeur with modern lighting and a new glass-roofed atrium. The interactive tour helps viewers get up close to every brush stroke by Vermeer, Rembrandt and other Dutch masters while exploring the Great Hall and beyond. rijksmuseum.nl

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea

installation view, Park Myung-rae, 2015, From the collection of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

There are several sites making up this museum: the main gallery in Gwacheon and branches in Deoksugung, Seoul and Cheongju. The virtual tours explore an inspiring mix of print, design, sculpture, photography, new media and other large-scale installations. From Joseph Beuys to Warhol and Nam June Paik, the collection includes an international lineup of established artists, contemporary Korean artworks and emerging names. mmca.go.kr

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Musee d’Orsay virtual tour screenshot

In the former Gare d’Orsay, a Paris railway station and hotel, the musée is home to Cézanne, Monet and other French masters. Under a 138m-long curved glass roof, sits the largest collection of impressionist and post-Impressionist works in the world. The virtual tour also includes an online exhibition charting the history of the building. And over on Tourist Tube there’s a 360-degree view of the magnificent exterior. m.musee-orsay.fr

British Museum, London

British Museum’s History Connected infographic platform.

There are 3,212 panes of glass in the domed ceiling of the British Museum’s Great Court, and no two are the same – and the 360-degree view in this virtual tour lets viewers examine each and every one. Beyond this magnificent space, viewers can find the Rosetta Stone, Egyptian mummies and other ancient wonders. The museum’s interactive infographic platform, History Connected , goes into further depth of various objects with curators, along a timeline. britishmuseum.org

MASP, São Paulo, Brazil

Screenshot from MASP, Sao Paulo, online virtual tour.

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo has one of the broadest historical collections available to view via its virtual gallery platform , spanning from the 14th to 20th centuries. Paintings appear suspended in the air around the open-plan space, on glass panels or “crystal easels” as the museum calls them. There’s also a temporary retrospective exhibition by Brazilian pop artist Teresinha Soares beside the building’s statement red staircase. The glass and red-beam structure, built in 1968, is worth a look from the outside too, via Google Street View . masp.org.br

National Gallery, London

A woman walks through The National Gallery minutes before it closes until further notice, in London.

  • Cultural trips
  • Travel websites
  • Virtual reality

More on this story

virtual visit british museum

Favourite UK museums and galleries: readers' travel tips

virtual visit british museum

Where to get spooked this Halloween in the UK

virtual visit british museum

12 of the best city museums in Europe: readers’ travel tips

virtual visit british museum

10 of the best museums close to railway stations in Europe: readers’ tips

virtual visit british museum

10 holiday highlights of this strange summer: readers’ tips

virtual visit british museum

Shetland: an epic landscape with a Viking soul

virtual visit british museum

The UK’s best forgotten ruins: readers’ travel tips

virtual visit british museum

20 of the best autumn getaways around the UK

virtual visit british museum

UK parks and free public gardens: readers’ travel tips

virtual visit british museum

10 great UK coastal walks: readers' tips

Comments (…), most viewed.

The Citi exhibition

Exhibition / 22 Oct 2020 - 21 Feb 2021

Citi logo

Supported by

AKO Foundation logo

Indigenous Arctic Peoples are on the frontline of global climate change. The Arctic is warming at more than twice the rate of anywhere else. Research predicts that Arctic summers will be ice free within eighty years, affecting us all by altering weather patterns worldwide.

Arctic Peoples have lived with slow, natural climate variability and seasonal weather for 30,000 years. Through adaptation, innovation and collaboration they have persevered in the face of dramatic environmental and social disruption. How might their resilience help us jointly face the challenge of rapid climate change today?

You are nearing the end of your visit. We hope you enjoyed the Arctic exhibition at the British Museum. Please consider donating, becoming a Member or visiting the shop to support the work of the Museum.

View the 360 panorama of Circumpolar views

We believe that by understanding the past, we all have the opportunity to define the future. With the Citi exhibition Arctic: culture and climate the Museum uses its collection and that of significant lending institutions to demonstrate how human resilience and ingenuity have helped the inhabitants of the Arctic region to survive and thrive. However, the exhibition also highlights the challenge that we face with the changing climate.

It is a challenge that we must all address and, as a global bank, we play an essential role in financing a sustainable economy. We are committed to financing and facilitating clean energy, infrastructure and technology projects that support environmental solutions and reduce the impacts of climate change, on rich and diverse communities such as those that inhabit the circumpolar Arctic.

Citi logo

The Trustees of the British Museum wish to also thank the following for their support and assistance in the creation of the exhibition.

GRoW @ Annenberg High Commission of Canada in the UK PF Charitable Trust The Onaway Trust The Radcliffe Trust The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars

The British Museum thanks the many individuals and organisations who contributed ideas, knowledge, photographs, film and sounds to this exhibition. It has truly been a Circumpolar community project.

Alex Patridge Alison Brown Andrei Golovnev Andrew Qappik Anna Stammler-Gossmann Anne-Mari Immonen Anne Mette Jørgensen Association of World Reindeer Herders Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Calvin Winner Charlotte Connelly Claire Alix Claire Warrior Cunera Buijs Dawn Biddison David Anderson Davyd Halyn Betchkal Dmitry Arzyutov Elena Federova Elena Osadchaia Fedor Markov Florian Stammler Francesca DuBrock Gallagher Group Igor Pasternak Imogen Gunn Janne Flora JCH King Jeff Rasic Judy Thompson Kara Hoover Kate Jarvis Katirvik Culture Center Kevin Bopp Kiliii Yüyan Lars-Ante Kuhmunen Leslie Marr Lynn Defilippo Martha Snowshoe Martin Appelt Melissa Shaginoff Mittimatalik Arnait Miqsuqtuit Collective MAMC Molly Lee Monica Shaw Nancy Wachowich Natalia Vaskova Nuuk Art Museum Olivia Maguire Owen Mason Piita Irniq Rachel Hand Rachel Peat Robert Losey Robert Wishart Roza Laptander Ruoddo Duodjar Museat Sarah Betcher Shari Fox Gearheard Sharon Snowshoe Simon Anderson Susan Crate Sveta Yamin-Pasternak Tatiana Argounova-Low Tatiana Nomokonova The Inuit Circumpolar Council – Alaska The Native Village of Shishmaref Tim Ingold Vladimir Davydov Vladimir Kisel Vladimir Pitulko William Huffman

With thanks to the Embassy of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom and the Institute for the History of Material Culture, Russian Academy of Sciences

Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center Embassy of Imagination Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Beyeler Collection Her Majesty the Queen House of Commons Library Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge National Museum of Denmark Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of Russian Academy of Sciences Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia Scott Polar Research Institute, University ofCambridge US National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve US National Park Service, Noatak National Preserve West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative

All exhibition services unless otherwise credited British Museum

Exhibition design and soundscape: Opera Amsterdam Digital media design: British Museum, Studio Louter Digital media hardware: British Museum Lighting design: Beam Lighting Design Construction: Factory Settings Graphic production: Displayways Cost management: Fraser Randall CDM advice: Fraser Randall Fine art transport: Momart Mannequins: Proportion London Object mounts: British Museum, Plowden and Smith 360° Virtual tour: Pan 3Sixty

All images are copyright of the Trustees of the British Museum unless otherwise stated.

Quotes from books used within the exhibition come from:

EALLU, 2017, Food, Knowledge and How We Have Thrived on the Margins, Guovdageaidn/ Kautokeino: International Centre for World Reindeer Husbandry Judith Nasby, 2002, Irene Avaalaaqiaq: Myth and Reality, Montreal and Kingston, McGill-Queen’s University Press Sheila Watt-Cloutier, 2015, The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic, and the Whole Planet, Toronto: Penguin Random Books

Seasonal soundscape

Bernie Krause US National Park Service, Natural Sounds and Night Skies

Welcome soundscape

Alaska Native Heritage Center Ergyron Ensemble Galina Veretnova Lusi Kuni Peter Pitseolak Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska Soria Eyituk The Orchard Music on behalf of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Ulukhaktok Western Dancers

Climates of the Past photography

Andrei Gusev Cape Espenberg Birnirk Project Jeff Rasic Nancy Wachowich Vladimir Pitulko

Community Partners photography

Linda MacCannell Shayla Snowshoe

This exhibition has been made possible as a result of the Government Indemnity Scheme. The British Museum would like to thank HM Government for providing Government Indemnity and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England for arranging the indemnity.

The British Museum is striving to lessen its environmental impact and is committed to developing exhibitions in more sustainable ways. This display included repurposed and recycled materials, fittings and equipment from previous special exhibitions at the Museum.

Every effort has been made to contact the copyright owners of images and other print and digital media in the exhibition. If you are a rights holder of an item in this exhibition and are concerned that you did not grant permission to use it, please contact the Museum’s Exhibitions Department at [email protected]

 alt=

  • Search Please fill out this field.
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Sweepstakes
  • Attractions
  • Museums + Galleries

These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

Experience the best museums — from London to Seoul — from the comfort of your own home.

virtual visit british museum

While there's nothing like setting foot inside an iconic museum and laying eyes on a world-famous sculpture created by a renowned artist centuries ago, it's not always possible to hop on a plane to New York City , Paris , or Florence to tour the gallery halls in person.

But there is a way to get a little culture and education while you're at home, gaining inspiration and intel for future trips as well. Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world.

You get to "go to the museum" and never have to leave your couch.

Google Arts & Culture's collection includes The British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science.

Take a look at just some of Google's top museums that are offering online tours and exhibits. And if you're seeking more thoughtful inspiration from the comfort of your own home, museums around the world are sharing their most zen art on social media . Or, for a dose of nature, you can go "outside" with incredible virtual tours of some of America's best national parks .

The British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on The Museum of the World interactive website, a collaboration between The British Museum and Google Cultural Institute.

Guggenheim, New York

Google's Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the impressionist, post-impressionist, modern, and contemporary eras.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This famous American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.

Don Eim/Travel + Leisure

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

One of Korea's popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google's virtual tour takes you through six floors of contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany's largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer — even if you can't physically be there . This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you're actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who's a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close ) by virtually visiting this museum, home to the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and 750 personal letters.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the eighth century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence's most famous families, the de' Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de' Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world .

MASP, São Paulo

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a nonprofit and Brazil's first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear, raised frames make it seem like they're hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico's pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 22 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Maya civilization.

Not all popular art museums and galleries are included in Google Arts & Culture's collection, but some have taken it upon themselves to offer online visits. For example, the Louvre offers virtual tours on its website .

To see more of Google Arts & Culture's collection of museums, visit its website . There are thousands of museum Street Views on Google as well. Google Arts & Culture also has an online experience for exploring famous historic and cultural heritage sites .

Wanderer Writes Travel Stories and Guides for Independent Travelers

A Virtual Visit to the British Museum

Years ago, I stood in the British Museum and walked through its exhibits. I explored its rooms with my family for a full day, and I still felt that I only scratched the surface, so I have plans to return.

Table of Contents

Now is definitely not a good time for that return visit. But that doesn’t mean I can’t explore the museum. Instead of walking through it, I can visit it from my own living room. Since we are all cooped up inside these days, one of the best ways to travel around the world is virtually.

I’ve been taking advantage of these virtual trips. I travel the world through books , and through virtual visits to National Parks , the Met and other world class art museums . And I also spent time in the virtual world visiting the British Museum.

The British Museum

The first national public museum in the world covering all fields of human knowledge, the British Museum first opened its doors in 1759. Although free (as it still is today), in the early days of its opening, visitors had to apply for tickets and given a personal tour of the exhibits.

Eventually, visiting hours expanded and now the museum is normally open for long hours and free for everyone. And now, while it is closed because of Covid19, most of its collections are set up for viewing online.

The museum houses over eight million objects from about two million years of human history. The foundation for the collection came in 1753 from the estate of Sir Hans Sloan, physician and collector, President of the Royal Society.

His global network, and connections helped him grow his immense collection to about 80,000 natural rarities, 40,000 books and manuscripts, and 32,000 coins and medals. He might have been wealthy, but part of the money to buy all this came from slave labor on the Jamaican sugar plantation.

However he got to his collection, after his death, the Act of Parliament bought it for the public, and, along with the Cotton, Harley and Royal Libraries, establish a new type of institution, where the collections were available for the public, for anyone interested. They called this new establishment the British Museum.

Over time, the museum’s collection grew to over eight million objects. That makes a visit overwhelming if you try to take it all in at once. Visiting with young kids, I felt that we only managed to explore less than half the museum, even if we walked through all of the rooms.

Exploring the Museum With Kids

It’s been over a decade since I stood in the British Museum. The first time I set foot inside the Great Courtyard, I was in awe. It was larger, and more open than any museum I’ve ever been to before. We spent a lot of time in this courtyard with the kids, taking breaks between exploring the galleries.

I remember walking through these amazing mementos of human history, distracted by my toddler, while listening to my two older kids who seemed to know more about the ancient world than I gave them credit for. We let them roam alone as long as they stayed in the same rooms as us. Since they were learning about ancient civilizations in school, the museum exhibits of the ancient world offered the perfect extra-curricular field trip opportunity.

As students of the ancient Maya, both my husband and I enjoyed the rooms dedicated to ancient Mexico. We saw historical and artistic objects we only read about in books, even if we visited the sites they came from.

We also spent a lot of time in the Ancient Egypt Galleries. Our kids were studying Ancient Egypt, and were intrigued by the mummies and the culture based around it.

As much as I enjoyed that visit, I was distracted by trying to keep my toddler entertained, without loosing my older kids. I’d love to walk through the museum now, when my kids are all older. But even if I can’t be there in person, I can explore the museum from my own home, virtually.

Visiting the British Museum from Home

Let’s face it, in many ways, exploring an immense museum like the British Museum online is more convenient than being there in person. Not only that, but you can get more out of it.

True, it doesn’t compare with actually being there, standing in the same room as the artifacts you admire, and seeing them in real life. But a virtual visit bring something entirely different into the experience. I find it easier to learn about the objects when I can examine their photos and read about them at leisure, in my own room, undisturbed my the noise of other visitors.

And the museum set up many different ways to explore it virtually, from Google Street View and on the Google Arts and Culture Site to Virtual Galleries on the museum’s own site, and stories about the displays. The museum published a post on its own blog about 11 ways to explore it from home , a great virtual-visitor map to start with.

From that list, pick and choose your favorite, or try all of them. Since I have used the Google Arts and Culture site, I started with that, but my favorite way to explore the museum is through virtual walks through their galleries, and the stories about the displayed works.

Exploring the Ancient Mexico Exhibits from Home

I started with the Google Arts and Culture’s virtual tour of the Mexican culture exhibits. As I virtually walked though the rooms, I stopped in front of the famous Lintel 24 from Yaxchilan , just like I did years ago, in person. Not a pleasant image by any stretch of the imagination, depicting bloodletting of a noble woman by pulling a thorn-filled rope through her tongue, the lintel is still a perfect example of the amazing artistry of the Classic Maya. It was one of the first images, in our book, A Forest of Kings, that got me intrigued and interested in the ancient Maya culture.

Then I noticed a story about the hieroglyphic stairway in Palenque . I just learned that the British Museum is involved in reconstructing the original I’ve seen during my last trip to the site. After centuries of being exposed to the elements, it is eroded. But it seems like next time I visit, I might see a clear replica on top, thanks in part to the British Museum.

The Egyptian Sculptures Gallery and the Rosetta Stone

I also revisited virtually the Egyptian Sculptures Gallery through Google’s Arts and Culture site, combined with the museum’s own site. The room’s centerpiece is the Rosetta Stone, famous not because of its uniqueness but its importance in deciphering an ancient language.

While it took centuries and a lot of work from epigraphers from all over the world to decipher the Maya glyphs, deciphering the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs took a much shorter time thanks to the Rosetta Stone.

the Rosetta Stone @Pixabay

The stone’s importance doesn’t have much to do with what the text said. It was a simple public document, a directive, a piece of political propaganda, etched in stone in Ancient Egypt, in 196 BC, during the reign of Ptolemy. One of many, it was written to claim publicly that he was the official pharaoh of Egypt.

The major significance of the stone was that he got the text etched in both Greek and Egyptian, and in three writing systems: hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek. At the time, all three languages and writing systems were used in Egypt. The ancient hieroglyphic writing for sacred documents, the newer, still Egyptian, demotic writing, used by the public, and Greek used for public documents. Since the linguists working on deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs understood the Greek text, the stone etched in the three writing systems offered them a tremendous help.

I learned all this and more from the story of the Rosetta Stone on the museum’s website,

Explore More of the Museum’s Online Collection

The Mesoamerica and Ancient Egypt galleries are just a taste of what’s available of the museum’s online collections. I started with those because they are of most interest to me. But I’ve also been exploring much more, and I’ll be spending weeks with the rest of the exhibits.

You can explore the galleries, of course, more than 60 of them. You can also search for something specific you are interested in.

Or you can explore the collection by themes. Personally, I like this idea the most. And, I wouldn’t be able to do so if visiting in person. Besides grouping the collections by location, like the Americas, China, Africa, and Egypt themed collections, they are also grouped by Animals, Death and Memory, and Desire, Love and Identity.

The Animals Collection

The Animals Collection, for example, showcases art works representing animals from all over the museum, from ancient Greek statues of horses, to drawings by Dürer and other artists, to Chinese porcelain elephant, and ancient Egyptian statues. The objects represent both real and mythical animals.

Being a cat-lover, with two Oriental shorthairs following me around the house, I was naturally drawn to the Egyptian cat statue, one of the museum’s most famous pieces, the Gayer-Anderson cat. I see my own cats in the same pose at times, and we have replica of this for reference. On the virtual tour of the British Museum you can see this famous cat in 3D, and read its story.

Much More to Explore

You’ll find so much more to explore when you open the Virtual Exhibits. And, unlike visiting in person, you can stop and come back to it any time. You can take your time and explore a few galleries at a time, or just learn everything about one object in one day, then return to do the same with others.

A great experience and excuse for learning for adults, a virtual visit to the British Museum is even better for school-aged kids. They can add to their school-based lessons in a fun way, without even realizing they are still learning.

While we are unable to travel, we’ve been having fun visiting the British Museum virtually, from our own home. It’s been one of the most fun and satisfying experience of our quarantine days.

British Museum virtual visit

Related Posts

The Castle of Magyarozd in Transylvania

Magyarózd Castle: Secrets Of History in Transylvania’s Countryside

Schlosspark after sunset -the Gloriette

Date Night in Vienna – Locked in Schlosspark

View of Brasov with Tampa mountain and the Black Church

An Insider’s Guide to Charming Brasov

4 thoughts on “a virtual visit to the british museum”.

I love how much we can do online these days, it really is amazing! I have watched some National Theatre shows, but I haven’t done any virtual museum tours yet, so thank you for this!

National Theater shows sound so good! I’ll have to start watching some of those, too. At least until we can go to a real show 🙂

I think we will be seeing more and more of these virtual types of “vacations” for a while. Thank you for sharing about the museum and the links to other virtual sites is so helpful and fun.

These virtual vacations are pretty cool; we’ve been enjoying them. I think they will stay even after we can travel, they can always add to real travel experiences, too, with more info about a place. Thanks for reading. 🙂

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Accept cookies?

We use cook ies  to give you the best online experience and to show personalised content and marketing. We use them to improve our website and content as well as to tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. You can change your preferences at any time.  

Popular search terms:

  • British wildlife
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Explore the Museum

Virtual Museum: 13 ways to explore from home

Delve into the Museum from home with a virtual self-guided tour of the galleries, an interactive experience about Hope the blue whale and audio guides narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

1. Stroll around the Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature exhibition

Although the exhibition at the Museum closed on 3 January 2022, you can still step into an online world full of fantastic real-life and magical beasts. There are highlights, stories and games galore. 

Walk around the exhibition from home with a 360° virtual tour on Google Arts & Culture.

The entrance to the Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature exhibition.

2.  Take a deep dive into the life of a blue whale

Explore the rich history of Hope, the blue whale suspended from the ceiling in Hintze Hall. In this online interactive, see what her life was like in the ocean, find out how she got to her home in the Museum and get a behind-the-scenes peek of the Museum's collections.

Go one step further by viewing the skeleton in augmented reality (AR) with Google Arts & Culture. 

A spliced image showing the blue whale skeleton in the middle surrounded by tall shelves storing other taxidermy specimens.

3. Hang out with scientists online

Catch up on all the Nature Live Online talks featuring topical discussions with our scientists and cutting-edge research. 

Free event recordings. 

View of Earth from space.

Image:  NASA .

4.  Sound choices: listen to these podcasts

Every year the Museum attracts millions of curious visitors eager to learn about the natural world.

Bring that curiosity home, and learn more about natural history, science, and the world around you with these great podcasts. 

Khalil and Sandy looking at botanical specimens on the Museum's podcast, Wild Crimes.

5.  Let Sir David Attenborough guide you around Hintze Hall

Sir David's unmistakable voice and expertise on all things nature make him the perfect person to take you on a tour of Hintze Hall's star specimens (including the blue marlin), all from the comfort of home.

A large blue marlin specimen preserved in a tank in Hintze Hall.

6.  Go on a virtual tour of the Museum

Google Arts & Culture gives you access to 300,000 specimens within the Museum's collections, along with 35 digital exhibitions , virtual tours and an interactive gigapixel photo (so enormous you can zoom in on the tiniest detail) of Hintze Hall's gilded canopy. 

A screenshot of a 360 video of Hintze Hall showing thumbnail images of other galleries along the bottom.

7.  Flick through Wildlife Photographer of the Year images

Explore the exhibition at your own pace in this online gallery filled with stunning nature photographs. 

A photograph of a jellyfish with purple tentacles by Fabien Michenet.

8.  Watch us on the small screen

The Museum's stunning architecture has made it a popular choice as a filming location for everything from blockbuster movies to TV dramas.

Discover which films and television shows feature the Museum.

Paddington Bear at the Museum with Dippy in Hintze Hall.

Paddington (2014)

9. Examine a 3D model of Dippy's skull

Get up close to the skull of the Museum's iconic Diplodocus cast produced by our Imaging and Analysis Centre. See more 3D models on Sketchfab , including Darwin's fossil mammals and the Crystal Palace sculptures .

A 3D scan of Dippy's skull.

10. See illustrations from HMS Endeavour

Our collection of botanical illustrations from HMS Endeavour make up some of the most scientifically significant artworks in our archive. It features works by Sydney Parkinson .

A watercolour illustration parkinson

11.  Browse the Library and Archives digital collections

Dig deep into the archives, where you'll find scientifically important art, books, prints and manuscripts, including drawings by William Smith and brothers Franz and Ferdinand Bauer.

Illustration of two lorikeets perched on a branch by the Bauer brothers.

12. Uncover highlights from the collections

We've wrapped up some of the highlights from the collections on display including specimens from space , the spirit collection , Charles Darwin and the Treasures gallery .

Discover more stories from the collections  including stories from the Museum at Tring .

Archie the giant squid in the spirit collection.

13. Zoom in on beetles

Open the drawers and zoom in on 16 Coleoptera collections held at the Museum including those from Thomas Broun (1838-1919), David Sharp (1840-1922) and Charles O. Waterhouse (1843-1917).

Find out more about the  Entomology collections .

Coleoptera collection - colourful beetles

Virtual expeditions with our scientists

virtual visit british museum

What is it like to go on a dino dig?

Explore an interactive story about Museum experts' adventure to Wyoming, USA, when they went off-grid in search of Jurassic dinosaurs.

virtual visit british museum

Explore a 360 panorama of Antarctica

Join Dr Adrian Glover as he journeys to the site of a collapsed Antarctic ice shelf. Experience the awe-inspiring view from the ship deck.

virtual visit british museum

Online events

Whether you want to try your hand at crafting or join our virtual yoga - there is something for everyone. 

Find out more

Let the exploration continue.

virtual visit british museum

Enjoy nature on your doorstep

Find activities and ideas to occupy yourself and family at home, in your garden or local outdoor space.

Try this at home

virtual visit british museum

Discover more stories from the collections

Uncover colourful stories behind the specimens, meet collectors and curators past and present and read about their contributions to our understanding of the natural world. 

virtual visit british museum

Teaching resources

A range of downloadable educational curriculum-linked resources that you can adapt for home use.

We need your help

Protecting people and the planet is vital. That's why we're working hard to inspire learning and provide hope. But we can't do it without your help.

As a charity, we rely on your donations - big and small - and greatly appreciate your support. Together, we can create a future where people and planet thrive. Thank you.

Don't miss a thing

Receive email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice .

Follow us on social media

IMAGES

  1. British Museum: 360º Tour

    virtual visit british museum

  2. Visit the Virtual British Museum from Home

    virtual visit british museum

  3. British Museum Virtual Tour

    virtual visit british museum

  4. How to virtually tour the British museum from your very own home

    virtual visit british museum

  5. Visita virtual al British Museum de Londres

    virtual visit british museum

  6. British museum virtual tours

    virtual visit british museum

VIDEO

  1. The British Museum

  2. British Museum (Part #2) #britishmuseum

  3. British Museum (part#4) #britishmuseum

  4. British Museum (part #6/Last part) #britishmuseum

  5. British Museum in London England Virtual Tour

  6. September 6, 2023

COMMENTS

  1. How to explore the British Museum from home

    With that in mind, we'd like to share the many ways in which you can explore our galleries and the collection online. So, here are 11 ways for you to stay curious, keep learning, and experience over two million years of human history - all without stepping out your front door. 1. Virtual Museum tours with Google Street View.

  2. British Museum from home

    You can continue to enjoy the British Museum at home. Explore the collection and tour the galleries via Google Street View. Plus get the inside story from Museum experts and guests through our online events , blog, podcasts, YouTube channel and social media . Please support the Museum through a direct donation, by becoming a Member or via a ...

  3. Virtual Visits

    The British Museum will never take screen shots or make audio or visual recordings of any Virtual Visits without consent. The Virtual Visit will be hosted using a video conferencing platform which is used under license by the British Museum. Your unique meeting invitation and passcode will be shared by email only with you.

  4. Galleries

    Explore more than 60 galleries at the British Museum from home. Our gallery pages feature a range of exciting resources, including virtual tours with Google Street View, object highlights, timelines, family activities and facts. Below you'll find a list of galleries on the lower floor, ground floor and upper floors, together with two galleries ...

  5. Virtual Visits

    Free entry Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG +44 (0)20 7323 8000

  6. Visit

    Immerse yourself in two million years of human history, art and culture. Book your free ticket to guarantee Museum entry and receive key information and updates before your visit. In our galleries come face-to-face with objects from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, explore the wonderful collection of the Islamic world and learn more about Egyptian ...

  7. British Museum, London, United Kingdom

    The British Museum Great Russell St. London. WC1B 3DG. UK Visit British Museum's website. Opening hours. Monday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Tuesday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Wednesday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The British Museum's remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture.

  8. Virtual Visits

    Virtual Visits. Monday 11 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out. Tuesday 12 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out. Wednesday 13 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out. Thursday 14 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out. Friday 15 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out. Monday 18 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out. Tuesday 19 March 2024 Virtual Visit Sold out ...

  9. 10 of the world's best virtual museum and art gallery tours

    There are 3,212 panes of glass in the domed ceiling of the British Museum's Great Court, and no two are the same - and the 360-degree view in this virtual tour lets viewers examine each and ...

  10. Virtual Visit

    Visit; Exhibition and events; Collection; Learn; Membership; Support us; ... Virtual Visits. Choose another item. Use the dropdown list below to select another date: ... British Museum. Contact us Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG +44 (0) 20 7323 8000. Visitor information. Museum map; Audio app;

  11. Exploring The British Museum: A Virtual Journey Through History

    Embark on a captivating virtual tour of The British Museum, where centuries of human civilization come to life! Join me as we wander through the magnificent ...

  12. Virtual Visit: Peek into prehistory

    The Virtual Visit begins with an introduction to the British Museum and its collection of eight million objects. Students explore materials and their durability by touching materials close to them and around the classroom. They are then asked to articulate their ideas verbally about which materials are longer-lasting.

  13. Arctic: culture and climate exhibition 360° virtual tour

    Arcticculture and climate. Exhibition / 22 Oct 2020 - 21 Feb 2021. Lead supporter. Supported by. Julie and Stephen Fitzgerald. Full exhibition 360° tour. Exhibition highlights 360° tour.

  14. Virtual Visit

    Item details Date. Thursday 30 November 2023 . Tickets are no longer available online for this event.

  15. British Museum Complete Virtual Tour

    In this point of view video you will have the British Museum complete virtual tour in London. Sit back, relax and enjoy the tour. Subscribe to the channel fo...

  16. 12 Museums From Around the World You Can Visit Virtually

    The British Museum, London. This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can ...

  17. A Virtual Visit To The British Museum

    The British Museum. The first national public museum in the world covering all fields of human knowledge, the British Museum first opened its doors in 1759. Although free (as it still is today), in the early days of its opening, visitors had to apply for tickets and given a personal tour of the exhibits. Eventually, visiting hours expanded and ...

  18. British Museum Tour

    In this video, Jessica, a tour guide with Free Tours by Foot London, takes you on a tour of the highlights of the British Museum. NEXT: Oddities of the Briti...

  19. Virtual Visit

    Visit; Exhibition and events; Collection; Learn; Membership; Support us; Log in / Sign up. ... Virtual Visits. Choose another item. Use the dropdown list below to select another date: ... British Museum. Contact us Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG +44 (0) 20 7323 8000.

  20. Virtual Museum: 13 ways to explore from home

    Walk around the exhibition from home with a 360° virtual tour on Google Arts & Culture. 2. Take a deep dive into the life of a blue whale. Explore the rich history of Hope, the blue whale suspended from the ceiling in Hintze Hall. In this online interactive, see what her life was like in the ocean, find out how she got to her home in the ...

  21. Virtual Tour of British Museum London UK

    Welcome to our virtual tour of British Museum, London. We're walking inside the British Museum on Friday 2nd October 2020. There's a limited number of exhibi...

  22. Go On A British Museum Virtual Tour (With A Free Scavenger Hunt

    To aid in your virtual exploration of the British Museum, download Little Day Out's free scavenger hunt activity sheet. The activity sheet features the silhouettes of six significant objects located around the British Museum virtual tour. These objects can be found on the ground floor and third floor of the museum. the Sutton Hoo helmet and a ...

  23. Virtual Visit

    Friday 15 December 2023

  24. British Museum is the most-visited UK attraction again

    Figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) showed there were 5,820,860 visits to the central London museum in 2023, a 42% increase on 2022.

  25. Virtual Tour to Ittihad Museum

    15 likes, 0 comments - woodlembritishschoolajman on February 27, 2024: "Virtual Tour to Ittihad Museum"